


Dear Grandma

by WeBuiltThePyramids



Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: Correspondence, Gen, Many mentions of Paige, POV First Person, POV Multiple, Set entirely post 3.14, mentions of all other characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2018-09-20 04:37:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 8,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9475991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeBuiltThePyramids/pseuds/WeBuiltThePyramids
Summary: After Veronica leaves Los Angeles, she and Ralph make good on their promise to stay in touch.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Going into Ronnie's last episode, I was really hoping that somehow, she and Ralph would still be able to communicate, because Ralph's complete elation every time he saw her just did things to me because when have you EVER seen him light up like that for another person? So the fact that they can still email each other makes me so happy, and this fic will be a collection of their messages to one another.
> 
> So this fic will be an undetermined amount of chapters, and most but not all of them will be Dear Grandma chapters, where Ralph is writing to Ronnie, and the content will largely center around future episodes and Ralph's interpretation of events that are shown and alluded to. I chose to start with a Dear Ralph chapter, both because the show is on a brief hiatus and because of reasons that are listed in the email.

Dear Ralph,

I wanted to send you a message before you sent one to me. My past has involved a lot of disappearing, and while I know that you know I want to stay a part of your life, I still wouldn't feel right if you had to reach out to me first.

I left you something with your mom. She'll have to take care of it for you. If you'd like, you can ask her what it is, but please don't press the issue if she doesn't want to tell you. I'm sure she will when you're a little bit older. Give her a hug tonight for me. She doesn't have to know it's from me. I'll smile thinking of you two like that and that has to be enough.

I don't know if Happy told you, but my new name is Roxanne Purcell. I'm currently staying in a hotel in Oregon, which is a few miles from some historical sites that I may check out for something to do. The men after me, if they suspected anything, they'd look at places in the Southwest, because they know I have connections there. It's a lot smarter of me to go somewhere they'd never think to look - I think you said something along those lines to me when we were discussing the book you are reading for one of your classes. The guy who checked me into the hotel was named Seymour Butts. Your friend Toby might find that funny.

The painting hanging up on the wall in my room is a bunch of fun, bold geometric shapes. You would know what all of them are. I have absolutely no idea. Although one resembles the cut of some fake diamonds that I passed off as real and sold to try and help your mom out when she said she wanted to go to college. I was so proud of her. Your grandpa and I got married and had your mom too young to ever think about things like that. You told me she's still taking a class or two at night. She wants to set an example for you. I wanted to tell her that her finishing college or not doesn't make or break her being a good example. The best way to be an example for your children is to constantly be bettering yourself, to follow through, to be present. I failed at that. She will never fail you that way, and that in itself is enough to make her an incredible mother. Anything else she does is a bonus.

Please tell your mom I've reached Oregon safely and that I say hi. I will stay here probably a week before moving on. Hopefully within the month I'll have found a place that where I can be for a while. There are multilple strategies for laying low. One is to keep moving - less a chance anyone will place me if they did ever see me on the news, but a higher chance of running into someone I know, because I'll be seeing more people. Or I could stay in one place, but risk saying or doing something that may make it clear that I'm hiding. That's why, as I said, I'm staying thousands of miles from any of my known associates.

Tell Walter I say hello, too. I hope his eyes are getting better.

Love, Grandma


	2. Chapter 2

Dear Grandma,

I'm glad you're safe. I told my mom. She said to tell you hello from her. I think she wanted to say more. It's strange, how she is the one of us who is better at our emotions, and yet lately, I think that person has been me.

The painting with geometric shapes you told me about on your hotel wall confuses me. Is it the geometry that makes it fun?

I know it's not diamonds or other jewels, but there is a museum in Oregon that you might like. It's called the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals. It's near Portland. A guy in one of my college classes was talking about it. I guess when his sister was a student, one of her classes took a trip up there.

Today was interesting. My mom came to get me from Daniel's house and told me that the job that she thought Scorpion was going to do today got cancelled. Instead, they went treasure hunting. She said Toby wore a pirate hat and was talking in that pirate accent that everyone thinks they sounded like. Her clothes and hair were lined with salt and she took a shower and changed before going back to the garage. I think something happened that she's not telling me about.

I know she will, eventually. She glosses over the seriousness of it all because she doesn't want to worry me. But I read her case paperwork. And Walter will usually tell me what happened. He didn't, before. After this thing that happened with me a few years ago, he doesn't want to go against my mom's wishes for me. But he and I work in the same ways. We rely on knowledge. If we know there's something important that's happened, that's related to us, that we don't know about, it scares us worse than knowing. So he tells me what happens on cases. I'm sure sometimes he leaves out details. But I know he will eventually tell me why my mom was in the water.

She was supposed to come home and Skype with Tim tonight. But she called me a few minutes ago to tell me that she was staying at the garage with Walter. I asked her why, and she gave me some brief lecture – I'm sure you know the type, where they make it sound like the two of you are just having a conversation but really it's a lesson – about how it's important to fulfill the duties of any position of responsibility that you've taken on. She said she owed it to Walter to stay and help him with something. And then she made a point of telling me that he didn't owe her anything. That seemed odd to me. If she is doing something because she owes him, wouldn't that automatically mean that he doesn't owe her? It's so confusing. It was just about a year ago the last time the three of us all stayed late at the garage. That was a really fun night. And one of the last nights where I felt that everything was okay. I wish I hadn't taken that feeling for granted.

I miss you. I miss us talking about my mom and Walter. I want to be happy they're together tonight. But lately, whenever they have any time alone together, she's been coming home annoyed. And then she's short with me. I don't know if it's just because she's in a bad mood, or if it's because I start annoying her in the same way Walter does. Because of who I am.

Please don't contact her and ask. I can handle it. It's just nice to have someone to talk to about it. I'm trying not to let it bother me. I know she has a lot on her plate.

Love,

Ralph


	3. Chapter 3

Dear Grandma,

Thank you for the letter you sent in the mail last week.  Some of the geniuses don’t – or didn’t used to – understand sentimental things, but I think because of my mom, I’ve always had a little more of a capability to understand the value behind them.  Don’t get me wrong – in a general sense I much prefer electronic communication.  It’s cheaper and more efficient.  But I miss you.  And it’s nice to have something that I know was yours.

My mom has been different these past few days, since the day of Sylvester’s debate (the election is coming up soon).  I think something has changed in her relationship with Tim.  But I don’t know if she knows that something has changed.  I don’t know if that makes sense to you.  But I remember her like this shortly before we realized that my father really wasn’t going to be coming to live with us again.  It’s like deep down she knows something is wrong, but she won’t accept it.

She doesn’t think I remember any of that.  That surprises me because she knows I remember my father telling me that he was going to see a movie and then would come to us.  So of course I would remember what happened after that.  I’m a genius.  My I.Q. is over 200.  I.Q. tests are based on logic.  Ability to recognize patterns.  And a pattern is something that repeats.  This is repeat behavior for my mom.  I can’t even really describe how she’s acting to you.  I just know that when she’s not happy about something to do with a relationship she’s in, she gets like this. 

I feel bad.  Because I want my mom to be happy.  But if she and Tim make it through these eight months, I don't know why they would break up.  I know things happen.  But I have only ever see relationships end because of distance.  If distance doesn’t end this, what will?

My mom let me stay the night at the garage yesterday.  I told her I could tell she was tired from the case and I could stay out of her hair.  She knew I meant it lightheartedly, but agreed to let me stay.  At least if she does think about marrying Tim, she isn’t trying to keep me from Walter.  She knows no one will ever be more of a father figure to me than Walter is.  She understands because of Walter’s relationship with Cabe.  (And it fits.  I mean, Cabe has referred to me as his grandson, so between you and him, I have a grandmother and a grandfather in my life.)

Please don’t ever date Cabe, though.  That’d be so weird.  I think my nose is permanently wrinkled just thinking about it.  Gross.

It was nice to spend the night at the garage with Walter.  We did some experiments and he showed me how he built the laptop he made my mom for Christmas.  I’ve actually never fully built a laptop before.  He says we can work on one for me next.  It’ll be our little project.

It’s weird.  I’ve always loved my mom.  So there never was a time when I didn’t love her, meaning I never fell in love with her.  Falling in love is always talked about in the romantic sense.  You can love your friends, like I love Sylvester and Happy and Toby, but most mentions of love, in books and movies and even when talking to people is always about falling in love with someone you want to marry.  But that’s not the only way it happens.

But I know I’ve fallen in love with Walter the same way that I’ve always loved my mom.  It’s different then my relationship with the others.  It always has been, but...

I just never thought I’d want someone to be my dad so badly.  For the longest time I just wanted my father back.  But I realize now that was more based on my self-loathing, thinking I was an embarrassment, the reason he didn’t come with us in the first place, the reason that he ended up not following.  But it’s different now.  Now I know who I am.  I’m proud of it.  And I see the future I want so clearly.

But that part isn’t up to me.

All I can do about it is make the most of the time I have with him, and hope that eventually they stop being scared and start going out.  Because if they can only get there, I know that they’d make it, and I’d have a mom and a dad.  I know it would last.  They mean too much to each other, and he wouldn’t leave. 

He’s not like that.

He’s not my father.

Love,

Ralph


	4. Chapter 4

Dear Ralph,

You probably noticed that the letter I sent you last week was postmarked in Idaho.  I sent the letter from a post office in the panhandle while I was starting to head East. I hope you enjoyed my stories from Oregon and Washington State.  I didn’t tell you this in my letter, but I met a D.B. Cooper impersonator near Tacoma, who told me about the Cooper Day festival in Ariel.  I guess he has won the lookalike contest before.  I’ll include the picture he took with me the next time I feel I can send an actual letter.  I want to be careful of that in case the mail is ever intercepted.  But if this first letter got to you as it did, then it may be safe to send another.  I don’t want to do it too often, though.  But I do love the idea of you having something that I touched.

I am in eastern Montana now.  The western side of the state is prettier, but I can see why they call this the Big Sky State.  Maybe it’s just power of suggestion, but the sky does seem particularly endless around here.  And the term had to come from somewhere, right?  I’m at another extended stay motel, and I’ve gotten a temporary job in a library.  The job itself isn’t very interesting, but I suppose I’ve never had a legal job that I’ve enjoyed.  I suppose I will need to get used to it.

It’s so sweet of you to worry about your mom.  I worry about her too, although I don’t know if she would fully believe that.  Honey, I wish I could promise you that everything with her would work out the way you want.  All I can tell you is that a lot of things do end up working out the way they’re supposed to, and your mom hasn’t been dating Tim all that long.  People break up for all sorts of reasons, believe me, and surviving long distance isn’t necessarily an indicator of something that can go the distance.  Often times it’s when you start spending more and more time together that you realize you aren’t compatible in the way that you need to be. And after Tim is out of the picture, trust me, Walter has a wonderful chance at ending up with your mom.  He cares so deeply for her, and he has told me that he wants to be with her and he wants to make sure if it happens, it happens for the right reasons.  He’s exactly the kind of person that I want for her, and you know that.  I know it’s frustrating and scary, baby, but try to have faith that everything will be okay.  Your mom and Walter have been through so much together.  History doesn’t go away.  I got the impression that she was intentionally distancing herself from Walter, because while I didn’t get to witness how they were before Tim came into the picture, I read all about them in your letters, and I could tell from the way that the way they were was different from normal.  You had said to me in an earlier e – mail that you thought they were better recently.  Maybe they will continue in that way.  It does warm my heart to hear that you and Walter are spending that time together.  That’s good for you – for the both of you.  Nurture that relationship, Ralph, I’m sure it’s one of the best that you’ll ever have.

The Wi-Fi at this hotel has been terrible today.  I think it has to do with the bad weather in the area.  I wish you were here to help them fix it!  And so I can hug you.  I really miss being able to hug you.

Please write me again soon.  Tell me about school and about Scorpion and about everything.  I miss the excitement!  Scorpion is such an incredible place to be.  I know I’m very lucky to have had the bonus of learning about Scorpion while I was spending time with you.

I love you so very, very, very much, Ralph.  And I miss you terribly and I wish I could just hug you and sit down with you and talk through everything that’s bothering you.

Love, Grandma


	5. Chapter 5

Dear Grandma,

MY MOM IS SINGLE.

THIS IS NOT

A

DRILL.

So turns out Tim was offered some promotion in Jordan that would require him to stay at least another eight months, with the possibility of the job being permanent after that.  He called her on Skype yesterday night to tell him that it was offered and that he really wanted to take it, because it was an incredible opportunity.  It was really late when he told her, and she asked him if they could talk about it and he said yeah, or something, but he seemed a little put out that she asked.  They set up a time the next evening to Skype and discuss what it all would mean for their relationship and the pros and cons of him taking that job over taking the one at the L.A. office in August.

But then he called her the next morning while she was at work, and I don’t know what the conversation was exactly because this time I wasn’t there, but he told her that he’d taken the job, and they both knew that their relationship was in no way going to last another fourteen months, especially with him not there.  So they broke up.

The only thing I don’t like is he basically dumped her.  I know they ended up discussing that their relationship wouldn’t work with him there for so long, but he had to have known that was going to happen when he took the extension on the job, and he did it without at least actually talking to her about it the next day like he said they could.  Choosing a good job over her without really even talking about it, that’s what my father did.  I know that was a lot different because my father and my mom were together for three years and they had me, but I just wish she would have had enough leverage to tell him where he could shove it.  If she can’t be in a happy relationship, she deserves to win the breakup.

Cabe and Allie are also over.  I have to admit that I’m much sadder about that one (I think we all are).  Turns out her boss wanted her to sabotage the election between Sylvester and that Patel guy.  I guess not sabotage because that’s what people do in politics, but it still seemed like a dirty trick to me.  He exploited Sylvester’s germ phobia to make it seem like he disrespected veterans.  The veteran wasn’t offended that Sly wiped his hand after shaking his.  But Allie still posted the video online.

She said she didn’t want to do it, and we all believe her – we really do.  But Cabe would risk his life for any of us, and he can’t be involved with someone who wouldn’t even risk her job.  It’s not like Patel had the power to get her on some blacklist.  He’s only the alderman of West Altadena.  Walter, Sly, Happy, Toby, and my mom are essentially Cabe’s children, and you’re supposed to risk everything for your children in the blink of an eye.  Cabe says he can’t be with someone who wouldn’t do the same for us.

Team Scorpion did a good thing today, though.  There was this girl who has no immune system, and her bubble was damaged.  They initially wanted to repair it but they ended up having to transport her in a barrel of honey to a restaurant freezer.  Then they set it on fire.  When Walter told me about it I thought it was super cool, though I probably would have been scared at the time.

One thing that really stuck with me about the job is when he told me that the girl and her father hadn’t been able to hug each other for three years, but today, that changed.  When they got the girl out of the bubble, before they put her in the car, she and her dad got to hold each other for a few seconds.  That’s the kind of detail I’d have only heard about from my mom two years ago.  But now, a detail like that is something that Walter finds to be important.  What’s just as surprising to me is two years ago I probably would have just processed that information for the sake of having it, and not given it another thought.  I would have been fascinated by the science and not thought the anecdote about the girl and her father hugging was an important part of the story.  But now, I still find the science and the math fascinating and all – I always will – but I keep thinking about what it would be like to go three years without being able to hug my mom or hold her hand.  And I can’t imagine that.  Thinking about it even makes me a little upset.

The girl was sad that she never got to go to her school’s winter formal.  So we decided to recreate one for her in the garage.  Sylvester danced with her via these goggles Walter and I made that made it seem like she was there with us.

I danced with my mom for a bit.  Then she danced with Cabe.  She told me later that it was nice to dance with him, not just because both of their relationships ended on the same day, but because it kept reminding her of why he ended things with Allie – he could have been dancing with Allie tonight, but he chose the rest of us – her included – over his relationship.  And I’m sure it was nice to know that she was part of that priority.

When we got home I asked her again if she was okay.  She said she will be.  She told me I’m always going to be the most important man in her life, and if she and Tim had been meant to be, they would have survived this.  And she said it was nice to know now rather than being strung along by someone who was probably always going to pick a job over her.

She looked guilty when she said that, as if she thought I’d assume she was taking a shot at my father.  I hugged her and told her everything would be okay.  She smiled and thanked me, and said that she was so lucky to have such supportive people in her life who care about her.

She’s going to be okay.  And that’s why I can be happy about this, despite my wish that she could have been the one to dump him.

I know you wanted updates on school, but not much has been happening.  We just had midterms in my college classes.  I still have a 4.0 GPA.  I’m getting along a lot better with the older kids in those classes.  So that’s nice.  I never thought I’d be someone who had so many friends.

Toby told me something about ‘virtual hugs’ at the dance we had tonight.  I guess if you say “I’m sending you virtual hugs” it means that if you were here, I would hug you right now, and so pretend that I am.  So Grandma, I’m sending you virtual hugs.  And I hope it won’t be three years before I can hug you again, for real.

Love,

Ralph


	6. Chapter 6

Dear Grandma,

Cabe has been having a really rough time.

Even though he was the one to break up with Allie, he misses her. It makes everyone a little sad. I can't help but be glad that my mom doesn't miss Tim. She told Walter the other day that she knew that that relationship was ending. I wonder if Toby was right when he said last fall that it just needed to run its course. And then she'd never have any regrets or wonder 'what if'. I still wish it hadn't happened, but now that it's over it's easier to not be so upset by it. I just hope...well, you know what I hope it's not too late for.

Oh my gosh, Sylvester was the WORST today. He was convinced he was having this allergic reaction to a damn tomato hornworm. A tomato hornworm, grandma. Those big green bugs you see all the time. He thought he was going to die, or something, and nearly jeopardized the mission everyone else was on (yes, I was left alone to babysit and of course there's an alleged medical emergency) because he was freaking out. Like, how does he not know what a hornworm is? I can see him being afraid of the monkey, but once he knew what the bug was he was fine. Why did he not just _look at it_ the first time? We're geniuses, scientists, we're supposed to have superior observational skills.

Here I am wanting a new haircut so I'd have a better seal on my safety goggles and my mother is acting like I told her I wanted to go live with the cast of Mean Girls or something. (I can make a lot more movie references than Walter can.) And now Sylvester is flipping out over nothing, too. Am I the only person with any sense left in this place?

I'll talk to you soon. I have my appointment at the hair salon. Cabe says real haircuts are got at barbershops. I don't see the difference. As long as I can get my goggles to fit.

Love you,

Ralph


	7. Chapter 7

Grandma.

The worst thing in the world has happened.

This might sound strange if you knew me when I was little. I didn't speak until I was almost three and then only to my mother. So when I tell you I'm at a loss for words, I only expect you to understand because you weren't in my life until a year ago.

Though I suppose you won't be reading this in bits and pieces, getting up and walking away, making circles on the floor, and curling up in a ball, like I am. You won't know where I stopped and started. You won't know how long it took me to say this.

Grandma, this story starts before you showed up in Los Angeles. Back in the first few days that my mom was dating Tim, Team Scorpion was sent to an on and off client named Richard Elia and long story short, Walter ended up being launched into space. I think I told you about this, and how he was in a lot of pain for a week or so afterward. He couldn't remember what happened. I didn't

I didn't know about what happened until today. Grandma, we knew that my mom and Walter have feelings for each other. But when he was in space, he was hypoxic, and he told her that _he loved her_. And Grandma…she said it back. She didn't admit it at first. But then she said she did. To save his life.

I didn't think I would ever hear about them telling each other they love each other and now I know it has happened and I was kind of excited. Because my mom doesn't say that stuff. Because my mom doesn't say that stuff. The only person I've ever heard her say it to other than me was my father. She doesn't throw that word around. She doesn't say that stuff. She even criticizes those Bachelor and Bachelorette shows for using it just a couple days in. She feels that cheapens it. And Walter has never said it. Not in that way.

She said it to save his life. That's what she'ss saying. But Toby told me that Walter wouldn't have survived if she didn't talk to him because she was the only one who would get through to him. He tried to make it seem like it was because of how he cares about her, but I could tell he wanted to say it worked because she cares about him too. She wouldn't have been able to snap him out of it if she wasn't desperate to. And he believed her. He didn't believe her today when she lied to him but his hypoxic brain believed her when she said she loved him. Grandma, I know he meant it. And I think she did too.

But it's all gone so terribly wrong. I asked my mom to think about what she said to him. I said I think that she does love him, and maybe she just didn't realize it. She listened to me. She treated me like an adult and listened and I asked her to think about it.

Then Walter fired her.

It's hard to convey tone in e – mails. I don't like showing emotions a lot. But I do, for some reason, want you to know that it took me almost twenty minutes of staring at the screen to write that sentence.

I dno't really know exactly what happened. I didn't hear him yelling. I knew they were talking. I was a little bit excited. Then she started raising her voice. And he was confused as to why she was mad. He said he made sure she had a job. She grabbed me and dragged me out of the garage. I wanted him to run after us. But he didn't. I texted him when we got home. I hope he texts me back. My mom made some comment to me as we got into the car that I hope she didn't mean. Because if I never saw Walter again I don't know what I would do.

A little part of me is angry with him, just because he didn't fight for us. I wish he would say exactly what he apparently said to her in the rocket. I want him to pour his heart out to her and say he wants to be with us forever and I don't think she would reject that because I honestly. I honestly think she loves him back. I think she reacted this way because her feelings for him are so strong, things hurt more. But at the same time I can't be mad at him because if he feels any of what I've been feeling this evening…this pain feels unbearable and honestly he probably feels worse.

Grandma, I wish you were here. I want you to hug me. I want you to come up with one of your elaborate schemes even though I don't like them because anything feels better than this. (Please don't actually come up with something. That would hurt my mom and this place doesn't need any more hurt right now.)

I want to believe everything will work out. Just right now…right now it hurts. Right now it feels like we're in so deep it might be easier to just swim down.


	8. Chapter 8

Dear Ralph,

I have moved on again. I am working at a KOA campground (or "Kampground") in the Midwest. It being late spring now, people are starting to come camping. I like when they rent the Camping Cabins. It is more work for us because we have to go in and make sure they are clean between guests. When they stay in their own campers or in tents, there is not as much for us to do. I mostly work in the store. We sell firewood and walking sticks and stuffed animals of the wildlife around here, and things like that. Some simple little compasses for kids, hats, candy, and those magnets and lanyards promoting the area. I see a lot of different people, which worried me at first, but then I realized I'm just paranoid. No one outside of California – and certainly not outside of the Southwest – has heard of my "death" and everyone who would want to find me isn't looking. There are a few middle – aged couples who are staying here long term. When they retired they sold everything and now drive around the country living full time in their thirty – foot camper. I suppose that's not too different from what I am doing now. But I ran because I had to. They're running because they can.

There's almost something nice about seeing different people all the time. That's how I've been my entire life. You would think (or one would think, rather) that that would make me sad, but on the contrary, nothing is the same in my life anymore and of all the things that could be familiar, this is probably the safest one. I'm living properly, honestly, now. I only wish I'd cut the crap before it was too late. But sometimes you don't realize how close to the sun that you are until your wings melt.

Ralph, I hope you e – mail me back soon. I have not heard from you in weeks. I know things are hard right now, but it's not good to pull away. You know how many times I learned that the hard way. You can talk to me. If you don't think you can talk to your mother or to Walter, you can talk to me. You know I won't intervene, just listen. If you don't want to talk about what's going on with your mom and Walter, tell me all about Happy and Toby's wedding. I'm sure it was beautiful. If you have any photos of you and your mom all dressed up, please send those as well.

I love you, sweetheart. Please drop me an e – mail, even a short one. I know it's silly, but I'm starting to worry a little bit.

Love,

Grandma

P.S. I used to be a grifter and now I'm a drifter.  I just thought of that and thought it was funny.


	9. Chapter 9

My dear, sweet grandson,

I have gotten up to date at the news, and I came across a video announcing that every member of Team Scorpion, led by Ireland born Walter O'Brien, as well as former liaison Paige Dineen, her son, and their pilot have been lost somewhere along their route to Tahiti to do a routine job. This would have happened ten days ago now.

Ralph, they said they have searched on the route as well as miles in either direction and have found nothing. And if what they are saying is true, you will never read this e – mail. But I'm writing it anyway, because I don't know what else to do.

I know I've told you this, time and time again, Ralph, but I love you. So much. I hate that I wasn't there for you for the first years of your life, and my heart absolutely soared when you reached out to me. Getting to spend a few months in your life, being able to see you and touch you and hug you and watch you laugh and smile. They were among the best months of my life, comparable only to when I married your grandfather and when your mother was born. I know I probably didn't deserve being allowed to know you in the way that I did, but I'm eternally grateful to your mother for letting me.

It almost completely destroys me to think that you may never grow up. You deserve to attain everything you reach for. You deserve to realize your dreams no matter how big, to not be burdened with constant worry. You deserve to love a girl, or a boy, or to be perfectly happy not falling in love at all. And if you are no longer here, I would give up my life in a fraction of a second to bring you back. Or I would endure the worse punishment of being kept alive and miserable and denied the release of death. Your mother might not like me speaking this way, to you or in general. But Ralph, whether you read this or not, I need to say that to you. Maybe it's just for my benefit. I suppose in my current state of fragility I really can't say. But I would. I'd do anything to ensure your safety.

But I say it almost completely destroys me. I say almost because I've seen and read about everything that Team Scorpion is capable of. And if there is even a shred of a chance that whatever happened was survivable, then you're out there somewhere. You and your mom and the others are all alive and are awaiting rescue. Maybe not awaiting. Maybe facilitating yourselves. Because you are the most incredible people I've ever met. And if anyone can do what they're saying is almost impossible, it's all of you.

And I'm clinging to that, Ralph. Please know, if you're reading this, that your grandma never gave up on you.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

Grandma


	10. Chapter 10

**So I was going to shelve this until the premiere, since we don't know what kind of time jump there will be and if there isn't one or much of one, it could mess with how canon this fic can be. But I figured if Ralph sends her the letter on the way home, or when they get back to the garage** _**before** _ **he goes off with Sylvester, then it would work.**

**That said, this will obviously be the last chapter of Dear Grandma until season four starts airing. If you haven't followed the fic yet (you can at the bottom of each chapter by clicking the button to follow story) you may want to so you can get e – mail notifications when this is published again.**

* * *

 Dear Grandma,

I am alive.

I know that by getting this e – mail, you know this. But I wanted to state it. Sometimes stating obvious facts are helpful.

I am alive.

And things are wonderful.

I have a lot of things to tell you. If I had been able to tell you this when I first learned of it, I probably would have done what my friends at school call a 'keyboard smash.' It's childish, yes, but I'm a child, and I'm excited. But I have also mentally written this letter in my head dozens if not hundreds of times over the past few weeks, and I believe I've found a way to talk about all of the events in a more appropriate manner. And a slightly condensed version, too.

My mom and Walter are a couple. I know! I found out when our plane was going down. My mom was holding me. We were scared, and she was holding me. And then she reached out for Walter's hand. He took it, and he sort of caressed her knuckle as he did so. It was a more intimate action than two friends just holding hands for comfort because the other was there. And when he took her hand, I felt her grip on me tighten a little bit. Like we were her family and whatever happened to us, it would be to all of us. We were literally going down together.

They told me later that it happened at the wedding. I saw them dancing and then they walked off together. I assumed that he was going to talk to her about the previous month when she wasn't working for Scorpion and cried at night (she doesn't know I know about that) and he refused to tell her how he feels. But my mom told me later that they talked on the dance floor. Maybe they went off to make out. At least that's what I gather from Toby's comments. I don't really know that I want to know. She is my mother, after all. But after watching her kiss Biceps McGee for a couple months, I don't mind the idea of her getting a little hot and heavy with Walter.

Actually, now that I typed that I'm weirded out again. And yet it still makes sense. I didn't run through this part enough in my head.

So anyway, when we crash landed on this island – Happy and our pilot helped us land – we were all knocked out for a bit, and then we escaped from the wreckage and had to save our pilot's life. In and among all of that, I was scared. Walter and my mom were just getting things together. And then they were thrown into this big, scary situation where tensions run high and I was afraid that they might just fall back apart. And Walter was being awkward, and Mom was forgetting that's part of why she fell in love with him in the first place, and it was rough for a while. And then they sort of fell into it. I slept on a blanket with my mother, and he slept on one next to us. After a few nights it got a little more chilly and we all stayed on one blanket and used the other to cover us. I slept in the middle because then it would be a sure thing that I had a blanket on. I think more often than not Walter wasn't covered because he wanted me and my mom to be okay. Sometimes they cuddled by the fire in the evenings. That was nice. That was really nice.

Eventually we managed to send a signal and a plane spotted us. It was our last chance. If we hadn't had this endeavor succeed (after many horrible failures) we would have starved to death. And my mom had promised me that she'd make sure I had enough to eat as long as she could. And that scared me. As a mother, she has this instinct to keep me alive at all costs. But…I wouldn't want to be on that island alone, scared and starving and surrounded by…I'd rather think about my mom and Walter being hot and heavy together than that.

We are almost home now. Walter has a pillow in his lap and my mom is laying on her side with her feet tucked up and her head on the pillow. He seems to have dozed off too. He has a hand on her side and his other one keeps running through her hair. It's…it's nice.

Grandma, I'm writing this before reading any e – mails that you may have sent. I don't know if you know that I've been presumed dead or not. This e – mail will send as soon as we get a signal when we land (I think my mom thinks I'm playing a game? I'm on the pilot's tablet, he's letting me 'play') and I will read anything you sent me then. I'm sorry if I scared you. But please know I couldn't help it! Cabe was throwing letters in a bottle into the ocean to try and reach Allie. It was futile. I didn't try to write you that way. But if it ever came to me being…alone…I would have, and left it with the plane wreckage so whenever anyone found it, you would know what happened to us. About everything.

I will write you again as soon as I can, Grandma. I love you. If you thought I was dead, if you lost hope, I don't blame you at all. I'm sure the rest of the world thought so, too. If you did keep faith in us, then thank you. I believe in Team Scorpion and even I had moments of doubt that maybe this time we weren't going to make it.

I hope you're well too. Please keep me updated on that. I've thought about you a lot.

Love,

Ralph


	11. Chapter 11

Dear sweet, sweet Ralph.

Sweet, sweet Ralph. I have been checking this e – mail every day, hoping that I just might hear from you. I told myself that I would do it for only a week. But then I kept checking. I probably would have done it obsessively, maybe until the end of my days.

Today I saw on the television at work that Team Scorpion had been rescued. It seemed too good to be true. I excused myself and rushed to the bathroom and pulled out my phone to log onto this account. I saw your message. And I broke down and cried.

I knew I was grieving you and your mother, but I don't think it fully hit me how much life had escaped me until it came rushing back in. I'm sure what I was feeling was just adrenaline, but it felt like life itself was returning to me. Ralph, it is four hours later and I'm back at home on the cheap Lenovo that I purchased second handed in Idaho months ago and I still can hardly keep the happy tears out of my eyes. It's like everything has come together. You are all alive. And your mom and Walter! Oh Ralph. I know how happy you are. And you know how happy I am. And not because I was right. You know my need to be right has been something of a flaw. But this is different. I can just see how perfect they are for each other, and the way he looks at you too, Ralph. I know you haven't had a father in a long time. And now...you will understand when you have children and grandchildren how wonderful it is to know that you can worry about them a little bit less. Or maybe you do already understand that. I know how protective you are of your mom.

Write me again soon, baby. I will now check this account with excitement rather than nerves and dread.

I love you. I love you so, so much.

Grandma


	12. Chapter 12

Dear Grandma,

Things are pretty good here.  My mom and Walter seem really happy.  She spends a lot of nights at the garage, but I don’t mind.  I’m old enough to spend the occasional night at the condo myself, and I also get to hang out with Sylvester a lot.  Which is extra great now because he is working with this girl named Patty, who I like.  And by like, I mean like like.  As in, I would like to maybe date her.  But she is older than me and she’s very focused on her studies and being the best at everything she does.  Which obviously as a genius, I can relate to.  But she needs some work on her EQ, for sure.

I’m a little bit amused right now, because in this scenario, even though I’m a lot more like Walter than my mom, I would be my mom and Patty would be Walter.

And now I’m trying to decide if that comparison I just made makes me happy or uncomfortable.

It’s not like anything is going to happen anyway.  But I can wish, right?

There is one thing going on here that isn’t good.  It’s actually pretty bad.  But my mom said she doesn’t want me to bother you with it.  I think she is afraid that you will show back up with one of your schemes and get yourself and or us in trouble.  So I can tell you a little bit about it but you have to promise to NOT do anything.  Okay?

Okay so basically Cabe is in some trouble.  The government is accusing him of something that he didn’t do.  We are going to get him out of it.  DO NOT COME HERE OR DO ANYTHING?  Not just because my mom will be angry with me for telling you.  Because I know that I don’t want anything to happen to you.  And I know my mom doesn’t either.

And also no offense but we can’t have anything making it worse.  I don’t mean that as meanly as it may read but I don’t really know how else to say it.  I’m sure you know what I mean.  That’s what Grandmas do, right?  (If not, just go with it, okay?)

I love you, Grandma.  Talk to you soon.  If you have any advice on Patty that doesn’t involve me rubbing dried herbs on my neck, I’m all ears.  (That’s a figure of speech, obviously.  How weird would it be for someone to be entirely ears?)

Ralph


	13. Chapter 13

Dear Grandma,

I think Patty and I are friends now, which is nice. She still views me as a kid, and I've gotten the impression lately that Walter still thinks of me as one, too.

And by "I've gotten the impression" I mean he's basically told me. And that's frustrating and disheartening.

I understand that I'm thirteen and that's barely even a teenager, which means that I  _am_  still a kid. I get that. But every since we joined up with Team Scorpion my mom has let me do more things than most kids my age because of my genius. She defended me to Florence on that exact point once. Have I told you about Florence? Well, she's another story. Basically she's our new neighbor who spent the first month or so deciding whether or not she wanted anything to do with us. She likes us now, I think. At least, she comes by more often than she used to and a lower percentage of her visits are to yell at us.

But anyway, Walter and I have always connected, as you already know. So it kinda hurts when he points out my age. But Toby told me something about that the other day. He said Walter and I used to be friends, but now he views himself as potentially my step – dad. We're still friends of course, but now he feels more responsible for everything related to me, whereas the first year we knew each other he just was focused on stimulating my mind. So I guess coming from that angle this is a good thing. I just wish that this new dynamic of ours didn't extend to Patty. I want him to help me impress her. (I know she's three years older than me. I know. But Sylvester was nearly ten years younger than Megan!

I dunno. I guess I have to think of other ways to impress Patty. Ways that don't involve Walter's help. It's just weird to have a problem that he isn't helping me with. Even though this isn't his strong suit, I think I've forgotten how to work on something without his assistance. I can't even remember how I worked through issues before I met him.

Love,

Ralph


	14. Chapter 14

Dear Grandma,

Well, Patty wants nothing to do with me.  I guess maybe that sounds a little dramatic.  But I thought she was going to ask me to her Sadie Hawkins dance, but instead she wanted my help tutoring a guy she likes so she could go with him.  I had a perfect plan.  Make sure he failed, and then she couldn’t go with him.  I know that wouldn’t necessarily mean she would go with me.  But at least she wouldn’t be dancing with him that night.  That is an image that it kinda hurts to have in my head.

But of course pretty much every one shy of the kid and my mom – who is sick – figured out what I was doing.  Even Florence picked up on it, or at least she knew I was giving him wrong information.  I don’t know if she knew at first that I was doing it on purpose.  She wasn’t pleased with me when I told her to buzz off.  I mean, I was probably rude, but she’s not even a member of the team so I don’t know that it’s her place to lecture me.

Okay, she was just trying to help.  She just didn’t get what my objective was.

Eventually Walter made me realize that I was acting badly. I just want her to be swooning over me.  I want to be who makes her face light up.  But Walter’s right.  He behaved like this and almost lost my mom.  It’s possible Patty will never want to be with me anyway, but I guess it wouldn’t feel right if we started dating because I was manipulating the situation.  I want her to have every possible option and choose me anyway.  That’s how it is with Walter and my mom.  And at the end of the day, I want what they have, as complicated as it can be sometimes.

It sucks though, Gram.  I’m just sitting here feeling so dejected.  Happy and Toby are happily married and Walt and my mom are so in love and Cabe has Allie and Sylvester may or may not have a crush on someone but I cannot confirm or deny as I may or may not have been sworn to secrecy.  And here I am, making up a lesson plan for tomorrow so I can help Patty’s crush pass his math exam so he can go to the Sadie Hawkins with her instead of me.  Is this how Walter felt when Tim was around?

Why does anyone have to feel like this?  Ever?

\- Ralph


	15. Chapter 15

Dear Grandma,

It's all gone wrong.

I'm sure you have questions.

But I can't explain something I don't understand.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated if you enjoy this!


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